João 8
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 8
Guzik - The reaction of the religious leaders wasn’t, “That’s wonderful! Tell us more about what it means to be free by trusting in Your word.” Instead they reacted, we don’t need this. We’re good. Gerald Borchert - These so-called “believers” were incensed that Jesus implied they were in bondage. Their reaction was immediate and involved both an assertion (Abraham's descendants) and a denial (never enslaved). (See John 1-11: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition) Answered Him, "We (present tense - continually) are Abraham's descendants (sperma) - The assert their spiritual superiority as children of Abraham. They are likely thinking of OT blessings of being Abraham's descendants like Ps 105:6 "O seed of Abraham, His servant, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!" Or Isa 41:8 "But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend" Their descent from Abraham was the source of their pride and their confidence regarding their salvation. John the Baptist had warned them not to place their confidence in their physical heritage (Lk 3:8). The implication is that they have no need of a Savior since they consider themselves children of Abraham. They had no sense of their bondage to sin, so had no need for a Savior! Kruse on Abraham's descendants - This is the first of eleven references to Abraham in the Fourth Gospel, all of which are found here in the latter part of chapter 8 (vv. 33, 37, 39 [3×], 40, 52, 53, 56, 57, 58). Jewish people rightly thought of themselves as Abraham’s children, and Jesus himself used the expression for them (Luke 13:16; 19:9). But in some cases this led to presumption. They believed that because they were Abraham’s descendants they would automatically inherit the kingdom of God. John the Baptist warned them not to presume upon this (Matt. 3:9/Luke 3:8). Jesus warned that not all Jews would inherit the kingdom (Matt. 8:11–12).50 By presuming they would inherit the kingdom on the basis of physical descent from Abraham alone, Jewish people were on shaky ground. (Borrow The Gospel According to John) A T
João 8
Guzik - Slavery to sin is the worst kind of slavery, because there is no escape from ourselves. A Son must set us free, and the Son of God sets us free and brings us into the household of God. Tasker - So the slave of sin cannot by himself change his status. He cannot convert himself, nor can he be converted by any fellow-sinner… The liberator from our bondage must come from outside the ranks of enslaved humanity.” (Borrow The Gospel according to St. John : an introduction and commentary) NET Note - The one whose lifestyle is characterized by repeated, continuous sin is a slave to sin. That one is not free; sin has enslaved him. To break free from this bondage requires outside (divine) intervention. Although the statement is true at the general level (the person who continually practices a lifestyle of sin is enslaved to sin) the particular sin of the Jewish authorities, repeatedly emphasized in the Fourth Gospel, is the sin of unbelief. The present tense in this instance looks at the continuing refusal on the part of the Jewish leaders to acknowledge who Jesus is, in spite of mounting evidence. A T